You must rotate in three labs during the first
year. Talk about potential advisors with students already in the
program. After the three rotations, you select a lab consent of
the faculty member.
The Graduate Group commits to five years of
funding. Two years of funding come from Group resources and the
remainder from the PhD advisor. Students planning to enter the
program should seek NSF, NIH, Howard Hughes or other fellowship
funding. These awards provide the student with recognition for
undergraduate accomplishments, and give considerable
flexibility in advisor choice.
3) What is a Graduate Group and will my
degree be in Microbial Biology?
You will get a degree in Microbiology. A
Graduate Group consists of an interdepartmental group of faculty
offering a program that crosses departmental boundaries.
4) Where will I find participating Group
Laboratories?
You will find Plant and Microbial Biology
Laboratories in Koshland Hall, MCB labs in Barker and LSA Halls, and
Public Health labs in Warren Hall - within 100 meters of one
another, and near Pat Brown's Grill run by UCB. Environmental
Engineering I in Davis Hall exists ~300 meters from these other
buildings. This puts Berkeley campus Biology buildings in the NW
quadrant, near each other.
5) What courses do I have to take and
what requirements must I complete for the PhD degree?
6) What is normative time to
graduation?
Normative time is "the elapsed time . . .
that students would need to complete all requirements for the
doctorate, assuming they engage in full-time study and make
adequate progress toward their degree." Normative time for
the Microbiology Graduate Group measures ten semesters, or five
years. However, normative time does not necessarily equal the
average time-to-degree in the program. Time-to-degree for
previous students may differ from that of entering students, as
the faculty recently re-designed the graduate program in
Microbiology.
7) Who is the Graduate Student Affairs
Advisor?
Dana Jantz, 111 Koshland Hall, 510-642-5167
jantz@nature.berkeley.edu
8) May I get a master's degree?
The Graduate Group does not admit students to
study for the master's degree. The Group only offers the master's
degree as an option for students who change educational goals
after beginning the Ph.D. program.
9) I am not a resident of California.
How easy is it to get residency?
The Graduate Group expects all domestic
students to become California residents by the beginning of their
second year. While the process of gaining residency requires
attention and time, most students find it relatively easy. When
they move to California, students take actions which show their
intent to become and remain residents of California. These include
registering to vote, registering all motor vehicles, opening bank
accounts, etc., and keeping documentation of these actions.
The Advisor provides suggestions and guidelines to entering
students.
10) How may I find a place to live and
how much will it cost?
The campus housing office (for free), and a
few local agencies (for a fee) will provide you with rental
listings. You may also use several free weekly newspapers with
housing listings, and web sites (not endorsed by UCB) such as
http://www.craigslist.org/eby/ that list rentals. Expect to
pay $400-650/month for a share, $550-800 for a studio, $700-1100
for a one bedroom, $1000-1400 for a two bedroom, and $1200-3000
for a house. Prices depend somewhat on neighborhood. Graduate
students currently in the program can help incoming students by
providing information on unadvertised housing.
11) What health insurance does UC
Berkeley offer?
UC Berkeley requires the Graduate Student
Health Insurance Plan (GSHIP) for all students not enrolled in
another major medical health insurance plan. GSHIP provides major
medical health insurance coverage and dental insurance to supplement
the campus primary health care services available through University
Health Services.
12) When/how much/ what will I have to teach?
Graduate Group in Microbiology students
normally teach one undergraduate course in each of two semesters.
Students may serve as a TA for a course in which they have an
interest, e.g. courses taught by their thesis advisor's Department,
or campus-wide biology classes.
13) Will I have full financial support?
Yes, the Graduate group intends that all
students receive support for the duration of the normative five year
training period. See
Financial
Support.
14) Do Graduate Students interact with
one another? How might I reach a student for advice?
Yes! The graduate students in Microbiology
have an active Association which meets to socialize, discuss
research and University activities, polish professional skills, and
engage in many other activities. See the email address on
the
Microbiology
student site.
15) Is Berkeley an exciting place to
live?
Yes! Berkeley consists of many unique groups
forming a community, located near cites such as San Francisco. The
Bay Area offers thousands of things to do and see. You may easily
reach San Francisco by train (BART) in about 20 minutes. Berkeley
hosts MANY cultural and culinary delights. Berkeley is close to
interesting outdoor destinations such as
- Pacific Ocean beaches and redwood forests (within 45 minutes)
- Sierra Nevada downhill boarding and skiing and nordic skiing
(within three hours)
- Large regional parks with excellent mountain biking, hiking, and
botanical, and wildlife viewing (from five to thirty minutes from
campus).
16) Do I need to take the GRE subject test?
No. We recommend it, but do not require it.
17) Do I need to take the GRE general
test?
Yes. We require this for all applicants to UC
Berkeley.
18) May I apply on-line?
Yes. Find the University application via
www.grad.berkeley.edu.
